How to Host a Murder Mystery

Hosting a Host-Party Murder Mystery dinner party game is easy, although there are some basic mechanics you should understand. This page should give you a run down of the basics of hosting a mystery party. 

Starting the Game
As your guests arrive, you should greet them (in character of course) and give them a name tag and any pre-game materials.  This may include pre-game clues that you were not able to deliver or guest instructions.  Once all guests have arrived, you may want to review the guest instructions.  Instructions are not required, but they may make first time players more at ease.

Revealing Clues
Your cast members will act out the mystery as outlined in the game materials kit.  The materials will provide a guideline for the dialogue that should reveal the key clues to unlock the mystery.  While it is not required or even suggested that they memorize the script and read it line for line.  They should make sure that the messages are revealed.  They should pay special attention to the critical clues highlighted in red in the script. 

Introducing the Guests
It is usually a good idea to introduce each of the guest/cast members.  Even if everyone knows each other, it is likely they will not know the role each guest is playing.  We recommend that each guest/cast member do their own introduction.

One way of doing this is to start the murder mystery by having someone play a role of police detective. The can announce there has been a murder and everyone present is a suspect. They can then ask everyone to provide a brief introduction and their relationship to the victim.  This is just an idea and this approach may not work for all games.

Distributing Clues
The clues are broken into rounds, and should be delivered to each guest through the course of the party.  You should evenly space out the rounds through the course the party, to allow the clue contents to disseminate among the group.

Revealing Clues
Generally speaking, our murder mystery games have two types of clues. One that you reveal, one that you conceal. Clues marked as reveal should be casually shared with other guests.  There is no need to make an announcement, just try to get the message out.  The idea is that different people will hear different things and therefore have different conclusions.  Conceal clues, on the other hand, are secrets you are trying to keep quiet.  While these will likely be revealed by someone else, your goal is to keep these clues from incriminating you. You can stretch or hide the truth, but if confronted you can not lie!

Solving the Case
In the end of the game, the solution will be revealed.  We recommend that you ask each guest to collect their thoughts from the evening and conjecture the cause of the crime.  Then ask each (for large parties this can be done in groups) to share their theory of who did it, how and why?  Then reveal the solution in the manner specified in the game/round instructions.

Other Tips
Here's our list of the top 10 things to do to make your party really go with a swing!

  1. Persuade everyone to ad lib and develop his or her character.
  2. It is good fun to dress up, try to encourage everyone to come in costume.
  3. Try to assign your guests to characters they will feel at ease with.
  4. Set the mood by decorating appropriately.
  5. You can add to the fun by adding props that you think may be appropriate for the use by the characters throughout the evening.
  6. Remember parties are fun, so make the most of opportunities to put your friends on the spot and watch them try to squirm out of it.
  7. Upload pictures of you and your friends
  8. Select appropriate music and ambiance to set the stage of the mystery.
  9. Pri

    Be sure to review our Hosting Frequently Asked Questions.